Bardstown, Ky. – September 22, 2026 -- CaskX closed out its presence at the 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival with 2,354 spins recorded on its World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel, capped by a single attendee winning an entire barrel of 2026 Jackson Purchase bourbon.
Saturday spins hit a one-day record of 1,140 as rare pours drew crowds
Friday produced 698 spins before Saturday set a new one-day high of 1,140, according to CaskX. Guests sampled a rotating lineup of rare, limited and sold-out whiskeys over the three-day event, including six bottles of Pappy Van Winkle.
CaskX CEO's spin awarded Paul Jones a full barrel of Jackson Purchase bourbon
The festival's largest prize came through the CaskX Barrel Competition, which narrowed fifteen finalists to five numbered contenders. CaskX CEO Jeremy Kasler made the deciding spin, landing on number five and awarding Paul Jones an entire barrel of 2026 Jackson Purchase bourbon. Nichole Beam and Andrew Newton of Jackson Purchase Distillery attended the final spin.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan joined a Fathertime Bourbon takeover at the wheel
During a special Fathertime Bourbon segment, comedian Jim Gaffigan spun the wheel for a bottle from the Fathertime lineup, which was opened and shared with nearby attendees.
CaskX Lounge hosted distillers from Rabbit Hole, Castle & Key and four other producers
The CaskX Lounge brought together clients, investors and distillers including Craig Beam and Terry Ballard of Jackson Purchase Distillery, Jade Peterson of Kentucky Artisan Distillery, Matt Gandolfo and Jake Vollmer of Rabbit Hole Distillery, Sam Rock and Ben Franzini of Bluegrass Distillers, Dan Callaway of Bardstown Bourbon Company, and Jon Newton and Brett Connors of Castle & Key. Pours included Kentucky Artisan Distillery's Oldham County Reserve 11-Year-Old Bourbon, Rabbit Hole's Dareringer, Bluegrass Distillers' 19-Year-Old Elkwood Reserve, and Castle & Key's Experimental Series Hungarian Tokaji release.
Main-stage panel examined contract distilling's role in whiskey production
Kasler joined Craig Beam and Jade Peterson on the festival's main stage for a discussion moderated by bourbon writer Steve Coomes, addressing the current whiskey market and the reliance of many brands on outside distillery partners. CaskX Director of Whiskey Sara Havens later joined the Bourbon :30 Whiskey Writers' and Influencers' Panel alongside Jesse Jones, Claudia Coffey and David Thomas Tao.
Investor Showcase at Rabbit Hole preceded the festival with barrel-side tastings
Ahead of the festival, CaskX ran a private Investor Showcase at Rabbit Hole Distillery in Louisville, where guests toured the facility and sampled whiskey directly from barrels not yet released to the public, illustrating the barrel-acquisition and maturation process underlying CaskX's investment platform.
The 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival ran Sept. 10-13 in Bardstown, Kentucky.